The Negro's Complaint UNKNOWN.

Southland Times, Issue 19098, 14 July 1903, Page 3

The Negro's Complaint UNKNOWN.

To the Editor

SirV-^Last Saturday saw what I should surely thhvk. -will prove the record imposture practised by the people of in.'vefcargilU'Vor a portion oi tnein, upon . their: ibng-sunering country cousins, as ■they in their moments of endeajtoent style iis country people. 1 refer to t.ie deTaying.Tvf all trains on 'the.. Southland; section for an hour and a-half in tt«> afternoon. at the request of the iuvercargill -KaUway Kowing Ulub. This Club v£s 'inaking its appeal. .to a- generous, but very ' foolish, public for lumis to jirovifj'c it: with boats, and paraphernalia and possibly for entertainnnents at sa<oKe concents", Aa«d to further this object tie trains were delayed as stated to force country people to visit their. Punch and Judy show, u ml the performance of the. :' class -of people who have recourse to burnt corlc for the improvement of their complexion: The great business! of Hie with .the, dweUers iir'C.plqnial toyrnsnow is~^to"" : "-p'rpvjde-'vairius^infent' ' in^swlliCient variety: to prevent the appetite from becoming satiated with too much of oiie ttiing, and 'every new craze or device is hailed with. deUffttt- and allowed :^to jina.fce-.its appeal to; L the public, even to disorganise ; the imblic service ;--an<l ths ■ powers that rule; our railways are weak enpngh'to.aid :tt.od abet these voracious pleasure-hunters by .delaying trains ; and throwing country people an hour and a-; half latei" "in"- g<?ttiji^' to- their home.* on market day" in. rind-winter. ■ This. Kp wing OliiiJ .can lhak^ no. jPretensions- to any really public Uut their apx pealsj. with : their red-painted sireasuefs stretciifed.atirdss^tthe street, could tj(j"forgifeh" w ifvthey7restricteu' their appeals to th 6 voluntary: system. But when they resort to stratagem antl cause an embargo to b e laid upon the railway trains of a whole district to force people into their hall : or to- tira'tnp the streets for an hburV and a-half, or pass the Urn© in hotels, S-'.iwhich.' niariyj- _djd, s>uch coi.duct can.' only; be ch'aractefised- as the height i of audacity, aiid it shows how HttJo the right and convenience, of the sobeivmind- . Ed of the travelling public weigh ' with the; rulers of the railways' \vhea put in the scales against pleasure-hunters. This delaying of trains at such short; notice, and at unexpected times,, is a breach of •'contract-" with", the travelling public, who depend .on -the time-table, and .'tnany otj w-Jisotm caiinot: see tlve daily papers. Many .people •, who; went, .to .Inyercargill on Saturday knew ■■'nothing about delayed trains till they got to 'town, or even to' the station in the afternoon, and their condemnation of these arbitrary suspensions, of -the ordinary tiuie-table were very strong. 'lftose who had travelled from station to, station-in the country would .Itjive- tot .wait "at -their stations the hour- arid half for this return train in bitter cold; and .darkness? li a cofnipany were to make such. inroads in their time-table- aiid; causei ; il»as?engers. ' suah annoyance and discpinfort it would /very soon be brought to its senses by the law. - Biit. to? this if ree_ country theh jGoyerameijt is .tbtklaw »on the" ! railway < r atid passengers: have no recourse, it is not this srngfe instance that has caused me to. :r«n.Cthis letter, ; It is : because such interferences with "the" time-table take jilace so very frequently, and it is high time v that;. •& yigpro'us . protest on tehtfii". of the pflor negi?6 servants in the country districts; to the labour v aristocracy of ' towns was anode against- ■ such treatmerit. r Should. be > no'^interference with 'the ti liie-table excaiit on pu hi ie '■. ho l- ] idays or on. regular, recurring, events of which' the' ", public ; have foreknbwhdge. The ti^ertabl^'is the 'Governiheitt's con 7 •tract- with^the travelling public, -and the Gpyernment has no Avaiid light to sjspefiifr that time-table- even at . t he dem tuntl Vpf-'ja clear majority of those using; the.s railways, if that- could be shpwri. in any' other country but this there are rights which are regarded us inviolate. liut here ;^.the,-;.word :,*: majority -■"■ signifles despotisra|'TJPliich;« tramples under foot tlie niost ."sacrfidn of! rigb.ts,v and anbgates^ to itselfvall ;?That is- JfewvZea^ land demqerate^— l-rara; Ac^; :; * ~i "■i*il 'Pi '? %'*£' ISth July. .-. ■ - (